How Air Force aided anti-terror operations

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken a stock of its activities in 2016. The appraisal followed the degrading of the Boko Haram Terrorist group and the eventual capture of its headquarters in Sambisa Forest, Borno State. Assistant Editor Seun Akioye reports the air power that aided the capture of the insurgents’ Camp Zero stronghold.

More than a month ago, soldiers deployed in the battle against insurgents in the Northeast under the auspices of umbrella LAFIYA DOLE launched an operation codenamed: “Rescue Finale”. The onslaught, launched on November 1, 2016 was the culmination of months of preparation for the final raid of the dreaded Sambisa Forest, the stronghold and headquarters of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. The aim was not only to dislodge the militants, thereby bringing to an end insurgency that has raged Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, for about six years. It was to rescue all abducted Nigerians, including the Chibok schoolgirls, believed to being held in the ‘evil’ forest.
Months before the final push, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had launch a two-pronged operation – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and target bombing of Sambisa Forest, all aimed at softening the ground for the ground troops to advance into the forest and carry out the land raid.
The ISR was a critical and deliberate operation by the NAF to ensure a safe passage for the soldiers into Sambisa in order to route the militants and end Boko Haram impunity.
The NAF was engaged in Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN) on many fronts last year. Such operations included: OP LAFIYA DOLE in the Northeast to dislodge Boko Haram insurgency, OP SAFE HAVEN to quell ethnic crisis in Jos, OP SHARAN DAJI to counter the menace of cattle rustling and armed banditry in the Northwest, OP AWATSE to curb pipeline vandalism in the Southwest and OP DELTA SAFE to prevent destruction of oil installations in the Niger Delta.According to the Director of Operations (DOO), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Dayo Amao, the strategic role of the NAF in the operations was to force generation and ensuring combat readiness towards supporting surface forces.
Directing the various missions from its bases at 103 STG Yola, 115 SOG PH, 403 FTS Kaduna and 451 NAF Stn Jos, the NAF employed a number of its air assets, including the Alpha Jet, F-7Ni and the CH3A UCAV. Others are the Super Puma, Agusta 109 LUH/E, ATR-42MPA and the Beechcraft King Air 350i. The Mi-17 and Mi-35M/Mi-24P helicopter gunships, C 130 H, DO 228 and the DA-42 MPP also played prominent roles in the operations.

The attack on Sambisa Forest

One of the biggest military operations in Nigeria since the end of the civil war was Operation LAFIYA DOLE (Peace by Force), aimed at countering Boko Haram insurgency. The operation included both the ground and air components. The air component was planned and executed by the Tactical Air Command of the NAF, commanded by Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nurudeen Balogun and the Air Component Headquarters operated from the 105 Composite group in Maiduguri with Air Commodore Charles Ohwo at the helms.
For the air component in Operation LAFIYA DOLE, it was a period of intensive air operations and subsidiary operations. These operations include OP CRACK DOWN, OP GAMA AIKI, OP FOREST STORM and OP RESCUE FINALE.
The OP FOREST STORM, which took place from October 2-8, 2016, was critical to the war and the eventual takeover of Sambisa Forest. The NAF conducted independent offensive air raids at neutralising Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) targets in the Sambisa general area with a view to further degrading their capabilities.
The operation was also targeted at shaping the Sambisa environment to a level that would facilitate the rescue of the “Chibok Girls” by ground troops. A total 82 sorties in 116:30 hours was flown.
AVM Balogun said: “This air operation was successful as it resulted in displacing the BHTs from the Sambisa forest. It also significantly curtailed the freedom of action of the terrorist as well as degrading their capacity to effectively engage own troops.”
Other specific operations carried out by the NAF included: Air interdiction missions conducted by the F-7Ni, A-jet and the Mi17/24/35 helicopters to neutralise BHT logistics, camps, foot soldiers and facilities on a daily basis. The operation neutralised Boko Haram foot soldiers in Kadara community. Two Alpha Jet aircraft also conducted an air interdiction on about 30 insurgents suspected to be angling to attack troops’ position. The interdiction was to degrade the terrorists.
There was also the Close Air Support (CAS), which turned the tide of the counter-terrorism war in favour of ground troops, using the F-7Ni, A-Jet and Mi-24/35 helicopters.
On December 22, last year, a CAS mission facilitated the successful capture of Camp Zero where Boko Haram flag and holy books were retrieved. Similarly, one Alph-Jet conducted CAS to support the advance of troops at Sambisa Gate.
Armed Recce/Armed Escort was also extensively conducted to locate and engage opportunity targets. The F-7Ni, A-Jet and the Mi-17/24/35 helicopter conducting a total of 635 sorties led to the destruction of Boko Haram hideouts and prevention of ambush of troops.
The ISR was critical to the intelligence gathering of the war on insurgency. Using the Be-350KA, ATR-42 MPA, DA-42 and the CH-3A UCAV aircraft to maintained presence over the theatre to obtain critical footages of activities of Boko Haram, it became the game changers in the COIN, leading to precise attacks on insurgent locations both day and night.
According to AVM Balogun, over 689 ISR sorties were undertaken in 2016.The NAF also conducted evacuation of troops including Wounded in Action (WIA) personnel and provided critical logistics and supply missions deep inside the forest. In 2016, 1,494 personnel were airlifted and 122,055kg of logistics was resupplied in the theatre of operation contributing immensely to the effectiveness of ground troops.
One of the enduring missions conducted in October was the successful rescue of 21 of the 276 girls abducted from their dormitory in Government Secondary School in Chibok on April 14, 2014. It was a two-day operation comprising of six missions flown in 13 sorties using the Alpha Jet, Be-350 KA, Super Puma, AW101 and A109 LUH.
“The mission presented some tactical challenges with respect to the lack of lighting in the operational area as well as the confined area designated as landing zone. Notwithstanding all these challenges, the air component was able to effectively plan and coordinate the operation to a successful outcome,” AVM Amao said.
The NAF also offered significant humanitarian assistance to various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps with over 20,000 IDPs in Adamawa provided with free medical treatment. At the IDPs Camp in Bama, 4,761 of the displaced persons were provided free medical treatment and about 28,051 of the IDPs in Dalori were also provided medication in addition to the provision of shelters, boreholes, foodstuff and clothing.

Rescuing Arepo from oil vandals

Arepo, Isawo, Ikorodu and Majidun communities in Lagos and Ogun states knew no respite from pipeline vandals and hoodlums, who terrorised the residents, raped, kidnapped and killed residents at will. But the launch of Operation AWATSE rescued the communities from the throes of the vandals:
Operation AWATSE began in 2010 in partnership with the Army and Nigerian Navy but Air Force operations began with an air recce of the area and air strike began on July 28 and concluded on August 16, last year, leading to a significant degrading of the hoodlums and bringing respite for the residents.

Battle against cattle rustling

The launch of Operation SHARAN DAJI was NAF’s response to itinerant herdsmen-turns criminals. The operation was initiated in July 2015 to tackle the upsurge of armed bandits, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and other criminal activities around the Northwest. But last year, the governments of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara states requested the intervention of the NAF to provide air support to counter the security challenges. From July, the NAF deployed six platforms at various times for the operations which include: DA 42 MPP, essentially ISR, CAS for surface forces, air liaison, troops insertion/extraction and medical evacuation missions.
According to the NAF, Operation SHARAN DAJI significantly degraded the capability of the armed bandits as their precise locations acquired during the ISR missions enabled the ground troops to locate and destroyed the bandits. But it was not a walkover for the NAF, the bandits fought back and fired at the NAF planes with at least one A109 LUH helicopter sustaining serious damage in Gidan Garba.

Protecting national infrastructure

The NAF responded with the introduction of Operation Delta Safe to the destruction of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta by militants.
The activities of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) members in the Niger Delta informed the establishment of a Joint Task Force code-named Delta Safe which replaced Operation Pulo Shield with a mandate to protect oil and gas infrastructure and to prevent/deter other forms of economic sabotage caused by militants, sea pirates and other criminal elements within its Joint Operations Area (JOA) which covers an estimated landmass of 47,942 sq. km.
Some of the activities of the NAF in Delta Safe include: air interdiction which aimed at destroying militant’s camps, using the A-Jet and Mi-24 helicopter with a total of four sorties and three hours 40 minutes flight.
The CAS was conducted for advancing land, maritime and Special Forces at the request of the HQ OP DELTA SAFE to flush out the militants from their location. Aggressive armed patrols were a major mission against illegal oil bunkering destroying 16 illegal refineries and 58 illegal oil barges.
Other missions are ISR patrol which shaped the battle space providing guidance for surface troops and Light Air Liaison (LAL), involving the movement of top commanders and guests within the operating area.
The NAF described the destruction of notorious Camp Benji on November 24, 2016, as a milestone in restoring sanity to the restive region and improving economic activities.

Enhancing operational effectiveness of NAF platforms

The NAF, last year, restructured its engineering unit with the weaponisation and upgrade of its various platforms and machines by its engineering team. Three Alpha Jets were upgraded in-house with weapons system and deployed in active combat operations in the northeast with high degree of performance.
The engineering team also upgraded the Mi-17 helicopter with weapons system while the installation of camera on Beechcraft ac NAF 202 and NAF 204, and upgrade of camera on NAF 201, were also conducted.
In line with the vision of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to reposition the NAF into effective and professional force, the NAF conducted several trainings and provided basic infrastructure in housing and education to the NAF personnel. At least, 1,020 personnel were trained overseas and 4,868 locally, while 268 units of accommodation was provided
A total of 24 boreholes were sunk in 14 locations and 14 kilometres of roads were constructed in NAF bases in Kaduna and Abuja. There was also the provision and expansion of operational facilities, such as hangars, aprons and taxiways in 531Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Lagos, 131 Engr Group, Makurdi, 103 Strike Group Yola, 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna and VIP Lounge at NAF Forward Operations Base, Daura, Katsina.
The NAF also established the Air Force Girls Comprehensive School, Abuja and established a fifth Command/ Special Operations Command in Bauchi.

Looking ahead

To the NAF, the way forward is to build on its past experiences. It said it would improve on its efficiency in this year. AVM Balogun told The Nation that last year underscored “the need for a more effective intelligence gathering capability as well as night capability and precision guided munitions, good communication network and availability of aircraft critical spares.”
According to him, better synergy and understanding between the NAF and the surface forces will be achieved as more Forward Operation Bases would be established and reactivated.
His words: “The overall objective is to improve capabilities, methodology and refine processes with a view to ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the application of airpower. The induction of the more modern, night capable and sophisticated Mi-35M helicopter would enhance the NAF capability for standoff, day and night operations.
“The reactivation of additional ATR-42MPA and the UCAV CH-3A will boost the NAF ISR and strike capability. For effective air patrol of the wide expanse of Nigeria’s borders, especially in the Northeast, plans have been concluded to establish more FOBs as staging posts to provide technical support and increase the radius of action of NAF air assets.”